So Benjamin had already told him. I wish so much that I had that kind of relationship with my best friends. One thing for certain, after this week I'll get to see what they're made of.
"I hope everything will be okay," I whisper back. Luckily, there isn't anyone else sitting close to us.
"Sure it will."
"I'm worried about our parents, and I'm worried about the school. It's—"
"The school?" Peebo asks, puzzled.
"A lot of students want Benjamin together with Chantilly," I blurt.
He frowns deeply. "Well, too bad for them. They'll have to get over it."
Benjamin arrives then, and his special smile for me eases my tension. He's so awesome. I realize that I'm willing to confront anything for him.
After school, we see each other at Lupita's. As usual, he has my banana split ready for me as I slip into our private booth. Sitting next to me, he pulls my face towards his and kisses me.
A melting kiss.
Wow.
Had I been missing this all these years?
When we disengage, he gently flicks my cheek. "Peebo told me you were worried about how the school would take us."
I nod. I should've known Peebo would tell him. These best friends confide everything to one another.
"You should hear the stuff Suzy and Lorena say about Daniela Lopez because they think she wants to take you away from Chantilly," I blurt.
Benjamin rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "That's really stupid on so many levels. First, I'm no longer with Chantilly. People need to get that through their thick heads. No one's taking me away from her! Second, I'm not interested at all in Daniela. Why is the student body so interested in my love life?" he snarls.
"Because you're Benjamin Quintanilla—that's why," I mutter.
"So what?"
I sigh. "Benjamin, you've always been very popular. Boys want to be you and girls want to date you."
He exhales, exasperated. "Look, I left the basketball team and changed myself. Can't they just ignore me?"
"They're more fascinated by you than ever," I murmur.
"Well, that sucks."
I shrug. "When the students hear that you're with me—who knows what'll happen."
"What do you mean?" he asks, puzzled.
"Everyone wants you with Chantilly and not me."
"Too bad for them," he blurts angrily.
"Even my best friends want you with Chantilly."
He eyes me carefully a few seconds before speaking. "Zuri, don't take this wrong, but if your friends turn on you because they want me to be dating someone else, then I think you should dump them. Who needs friends like that?"
I nod solemnly. He hadn't said anything I hadn't already thought about.
"Peebo would never ask me to go back to Chantilly," Benjamin states. "He knows the way I feel about you. He's happy for us. If your friends can't be happy for us then it's time to make some new ones."
I nod again. He's right of course. I can almost hear my Aunt Letty telling me the exact same thing. "I can't hold on to friendships only because they're old, right?" I murmur.
"Right."
"I've got to let them go if they're toxic, right?"
"I'll be with you every step of the way," he says quietly as he kisses my forehead. "You won't be alone in this. We're in it together."
I smile at him. "Love you, Benjamin."
"Love you, Zuri."
Chapter 18
The day is already here! It's Saturday, and I don't want to get out of bed. I try to poke at my inner great grandmother warrior soldier and Katniss Everdeen, but I don't know where either of them is at. I'm a coward. I get a text from Benjamin as I'm trying to get out of bed.
Today's the day! Be brave.
I tell myself to get myself together. Benjamin's and my love is on the line. That's all the motivation I need. Checking the clock, I see that it's half an hour till show time. The countdown has begun. I jump out of bed, shower, and make it downstairs with five minutes to spare. Luckily, the twins are at a sleepover with a cousin, and I don't have to contend with their snide remarks. Mom and dad are in the living room watching the telenovela. They hadn't had time last night to watch their favorite Mexican soap opera, so they had DVR'd it.
"Zuria, you look different," my dad states. "Is that a new outfit?"
"No, Dad."
"Well, you look very pretty."
"Thanks, Dad."
"Breakfast is in the fridge," mom says. "I made pancakes."
"Thanks, Mom." But I don't go towards the kitchen. I wait, and as if on cue, the doorbell rings.
I'm already standing up, so I tell my parents I'll answer it.
"Who could be coming over on a Saturday morning?" my mom questions.
I let Aunt Letty in the door. She winks at me.
"I need to speak to all three of you," she says.
My mother's face immediately becomes concerned. "Is everything okay, Leticia?"
"Everything's fine, Mirta."
Dad turns off the TV and invites my aunt to sit down on the sofa.
"I have to talk to you outside," she asserts.
"Outside?" my mom questions, puzzled.
"In your backyard to be more precise."
Mom's face becomes more bewildered. "Why the back—"
My Aunt Letty makes an exasperated face. "Are you going to argue with me or are you going to come out, so I can tell you what I need to tell you?"
Mom and dad stand up from the sofa. My nerves are really raggedy, but I'm actually relieved to be getting this over with. I'm really sick and tired of hiding my relationship with Benjamin.
Be brave, I tell myself. Be great grandmother. Be Katniss Everdeen.
Be Crazy Aunt Letty.
My parents carry quizzical expressions as my favorite aunt leads us to the backyard. Benjamin is waiting in his own yard by the chain link fence with his own baffled parents. When they see us going towards them, they balk.
"What's the meaning of this, Benjamin?!" Mr. Quintanilla bursts.
"You're taking us to them, Leticia?" my dad snaps, stopping in his tracks. We're only a few yards away from the chain link fence.
"It's time to end the silly fight," Aunt Letty states nonchalantly.
"I can never be friends with him," my dad jeers.
"Same for me," snorts Mr. Quintanilla.
Benjamin speaks up. "We're next door neighbors, and we should be friends."
"Never!" my dad snaps.
"Never, ever!" Mr. Quintanilla retorts.
"But our families used to be good friends," I chime in. "Very good friends."
"That's all in the past," my mom blurts.
"Yes, past," Mrs. Quintanilla assures.
"All four of you," Aunt Letty snarls as she indicates the parents, "should be ashamed of yourselves! You're a horrible example to your kids."
The parents look to the ground. My Aunt Letty has the ability of making people see their own foolishness.
"We don't mean to be a bad example," my dad murmurs, "but I've got to show them to defend what's theirs."
"What do you mean, Fulgencio?" questions Mr. Quintanilla.
"You know what I mean!" retorts dad.
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Yes, you do!" my dad insists.
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do!"
"No, I don't!"
"You do know!"
"I don't!"
"Stop this!" Aunt Letty interjects.
"I can't believe you had a huge party, and we were the only ones on the block not invited," Mr. Quintanilla snarls.
"Why should I invite you," retorts dad.
"It would've been the polite thing to do!"
"What do you know about manners?!
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Mr. Quintanilla snaps.
"You know what it means!"
"No, I don't!"
; "Yes, you do!" my dad insists.
"No, I don't!"
Yes, you do!"
Aunt Leticia takes a sharp breath. "Not this again!" she snaps. "Stop it!"
"This is useless," Mr. Quintanilla states. "I'm going back inside." He starts to leave with a furious expression on his face.
"Yes, useless," Mrs. Quintanilla growls, also starting to leave.
"Wait, Mom and Dad," blurts Benjamin. "I've got something to tell you."
The Quintanillas halt their stride and turn to their son. "Tell us inside the house," demands Mrs. Quintanilla.
Benjamin shakes his head. "I need to tell you out here."
"What is it?" Mr. Quintanilla questions impatiently. "You'd better make it quick."
Uh-oh. Here it comes.
Without missing a beat, Benjamin looks straight into their eyes and starts speaking. "Zuria and I are dating."
"What?!!!" all four parents say at the same time.
"We're in love."
"What?!!!"
Chapter 19
"Zuria, you can't be in love with my enemy's son!" dad snaps.
"Benjamin, you can't be in love with my enemy's daughter!" Mr. Quintanilla roars.
"And what do you mean you've been dating?—behind our backs?" my mom snaps.
"How could you, Benjamin?" Mrs. Quintanilla asks, hurt.
"You didn't leave us much of a choice," explains Benjamin, frustrated.
"Yeah, all four of you have been acting like buttheads," my Aunt Letty chimes in.
"Buttheads?" dad murmurs.
Aunt Letty stands her ground. "Yes, big-time buttheads."
"Is Zuria why you left basketball?!" Mr. Quintanilla questions Benjamin with unbridled fury. "Now I understand everything!"
"No, I didn't leave basketball because of Zuria," Benjamin states, frustrated. "We've already gone over this a million times."
"You haven't given me a good explanation, son. Why would you leave a sport you were so good at? There was no question that you were going to get a full scholarship to a university because of it. For heaven's sake, Benjamin, you had the ability to turn pro someday! You were my pride and joy. I just don't understand what happened!"
I can see that Benjamin's frustration is about to explode. If the chain link fence wasn't between us, I would go to him. "Dad!" Benjamin roars. "I already told you that I don't like playing basketball!"
"What does that have to do with anything?" snaps Mr. Quintanilla. "All of us have to do things we don't like. It's called life."
"No, Bartolomeo," Aunt Letty chimes in. "It's called trying to live your dreams through your son."
"With all due respect, Letty," Mr. Quintanilla states," I think you should stay out of this."
"No, she shouldn't!" roars Benjamin.
"But, son—"
"Dad, she's here because I asked her to."
"Letty shouldn't be intervening in our family problems," Mr. Quintanilla murmurs.
"I can't get through to you, Dad," Benjamin mutters. "Maybe she can."
"Bartolomeo, do you want your son to be happy?" asks my aunt.
"Of course I do!" Mr. Quintanilla says defensively. "What parent doesn't?"
"But basketball doesn't make him happy."
"But he'll be set up for life," rushes Mr. Quintanilla.
"You're not set up for life if you're doing something you hate," Aunt Letty says quietly.
"But—"
"Look at you and Grimalda doing all those pro-bono cases. You could be raking in the dough, but instead you're helping people. You could be set up for life. Why aren't you doing it?"
"I just want my son not to be struggling like we are," Mr. Quintanilla blurts.
"You may be struggling, but you're happy, aren't you?—Or else you'd be in some prestigious law firm making a ton of money."
"He was so good at basketball. I was never able to have anywhere near that kind of success when I used to play." Mr. Quintanilla mutters, his voice full of regret.
"Bartolomeo, do you want to live vicariously through your son or do you want your son to be happy? It's as simple as that," asserts my Aunt Letty.
Mr. Quintanilla eyes Benjamin with anguish, taking a few pensive seconds before speaking. "I want you to be happy, son."
"Okay, Dad. Playing basketball doesn't make me happy. Being with Zuria does."
My parents who were very quiet during the whole exchange between Benjamin and his parents suddenly become animated.
"You can't date Benjamin!" my dad snaps at me. I can't help being taken aback. My father had rarely ever spoken to me that way.
"No, you can't," my mom chimes in. "And we still need to talk about this secretly dating business!"
Aunt Letty's stern eyes fall on them. I almost feel sorry for my parents who are about to come up against her. "So, you don't want your daughter to be happy!"
"Leticia," my mom states, her voice shaky. "Be reasonable."
"Of course we want her to be happy," blurts my dad. That's why I kill myself at work everyday, so my children have what I never had."
"Humpf," Aunt Letty lets out, "you want her to be happy on your terms."
"What's that supposed to mean?" dad questions.
"You're angry at Bartolomeo, so you punish your daughter by not letting her date his son. Benjamin hasn't done anything to you, right?"
"No, but..."
"But what?" Aunt Letty demands to know.
"But...but...but he's the son of my enemy!"
"And you're daughter has to pay for that?"
"Zuria," interjects my mom, "why don’t you go out with that nice young man at the party? Jerry seemed very interested in you."
Benjamin's eyes become angry slats.
"I want to be with Benjamin, Mom—not with Jerry."
"What about Chantilly, son?" asks Mr. Quintanilla.
"What about her?" questions Benjamin, irritated.
"She seems very in love with you," Mrs. Quintanilla murmurs.
"But I don't love her."
"Son, sometimes love takes time to grow. Give it some time."
"I don't need to give it some time," retorts Benjamin. "I love someone else. I love Zuria."
"And I love Benjamin," I tell my parents.
"No!" snaps my dad. "I won't let you love him."
"I won't let you love Zuria!" Mr. Quintanilla bursts at Benjamin.
"Too late!" Benjamin snaps.
"You'll have to date someone else," Mrs. Quintanilla insists.
"That goes double for you, Zuria," retorts my mom.
"So all four of you want your kids to date who you want only because you refuse to get along?" Aunt Letty chides, scoffing. "How very selfish of you. Selfish, selfish, selfish!"
All four parents hang their heads. The air is crackling with tension.
"You know, I've never been a parent, but you're making it look easy," Aunt Letty states. "If I had realized that all it took was to force my selfish will on my children, maybe I would've popped out a few."
"That's mean, sister," my mom grumbles.
"Not any meaner than what all of you are subjecting your kids to," Aunt Letty smirks. "Your children have a right to be happy and not get in between your silly war."
Mr. Quintanilla sighs. "Maybe you're right, Letty."
"Of course I'm right," Aunt Letty states, indignant.
"Benjamin, you can go out with Zuria," Mr. Quintanilla declares, frowning. The rest of the parents follow his lead, muttering their consent with grumblings but still giving in.
I can hardly believe my ears!
Benjamin eyes me with relief and a grin.
We owe my Aunt Letty big time! She's a miracle worker! Maybe she ought to go work for the United Nations. Yes, she's that good! At the very least she ought to be some kind of a diplomat.
"Now that we've settled this," Mrs. Quintanilla remarks, "I'd better get back to my briefs. I've got a new client that needs lots of help."
/>
"We're not done yet," Aunt Letty declares.
"What?" asks my dad.
"We're settling this feud between you once and for all," Aunt Letty states, her voice very strong, clear, and determined.
Chapter 20
I almost want to tell my favorite aunt to leave well enough alone, but inside of myself I know what she’s saying is the right thing to do.
"There's no way to settle it!" my dad snaps.
"No way!" Mr. Quintanilla agrees.
"One thing is allowing our children to date, and it's entirely another thing for us to make up," states my mom.
"Very true!" snaps Mrs. Quintanilla.
Mr. Quintanilla nods vehemently. "I can't forgive Fulgencio's insults! His constant rudeness is too much."
"Me—rude?" questions my dad incredulously.
"What else is it when you make faces at me, spit out ugly remarks, and don't invite me to neighborhood parties?!" roars Mr. Quintanilla.
"After what you did to me, how can you expect me to act as if nothing?"
"After what I did to you?" questions Mr. Quintanilla. "What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" my dad snaps.
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do!"
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do!"
"Here we go again!" retorts Aunt Letty. "STOP! You two five-year-olds are giving me a headache."
"Letty," Mr. Quintanilla says, "I just don't know what Fulgencio is talking about. What did I supposedly do to him?"
"Fulgencio," Aunt Letty mutters sternly, "you've never told Bartolomeo why you're angry with him?"
"Why should I?" my dad questions petulantly. "He knows what he did."
"No, I don't!"
"Yes, you do!"
"STOP, children," Aunt Letty demands. "We're going to clear this whole thing up today."
"Please shed some light on this, Letty," states Mr. Quintanilla. "I'm completely in the dark about what Fulgencio is talking about."
My dad glares at him furiously, but doesn't say anything. He probably fears Aunt Letty biting his head off.
"My dear brother-in-law has been upset all these years that you borrowed a water hose and never returned it," Aunt Letty states.
"You wanted me to lose best lawn of the month!—admit it!" snarls my dad.
"What do I care if you win best lawn of the month?!" snaps Mr. Quintanilla.
My dad eyes him with fury. "Jealousy!"
"I've never been jealous of you, Fulgencio!"
"Then why didn't you return the water hose?" questions my dad.
"Fulgencio, I've always returned your stuff," asserts Mr. Quintanilla. "Always."
"Not the last time you borrowed my water hose!"